Belt shifter



Mag-h 31. 1,925. f 4 1,532,080

- A. E. RAMM ELT SHIFTER Filed Oct. 15, 1924 mmmges patented Mar. 31, 1925.

BELT SHIFTER.

' Application ined october 1.5, 1924. serial No. 743,697.

To all 107mm t may conce/rn:

Be it known that ALnnn'r E. R-AMM, a citizen oit the United States, residing at Herbert, in the county of Boone and State ot illinois, has invented certain new and useful 1miiirovements in Belt Shifters, of which the following is a specitication.

This invention relates to improvements in belt Shifters, and more particularly to a belt'shitter which will do away with the customary levers, links and pins, and will have as its main operative element, a single` 'flexible cable for shifting the belt engaging rods or arms.

.An object ot the invention is to provide a highly e'llicient belt shitting mechanism which will heconstructed from a minimum number ot parts, and will be quite inexpeir sive to manufacture.

Other objects will appear' as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which 'form a part of my application:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved belt shifter. l

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. v2, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate like parts.

My approved belt shittcr comprises a main body or housing 1, which is preferably cylindrical in cross section and is provided with oppositely disposed slots 2 in its upper and lower portions. The housing 1 is provided at one end with a reduced cable housing 3. A guide-tube 4 is adapted to lit snugly about the cable housing` 3 and to be slidable thereon. The outer or free end ot the said guide-tube 4 is provided with a plurality of tapered externally threaded lingers 5 which are adapted to engage and lirmly hold the free end of the operating f cable 6, when the handle portion 7 which is internally threaded is screwed into place over the said lingers.

An operating plunger 8 is formed sothat it will readily slide within the main body or housing 1 and is recessed at its inner end and slotted so that the inner end ot the operating cable may be received therein, and clamped in place by means of the set screw 9, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The opposite end of the plunger is prof vided with spaced, internally threaded openings through which the belt engaging or shifting arms are adapted to be received. The intermediate portions of the said arms 10 are externally threaded so that the same may be readily positioned within the plunger. The upper ends of the arms 10 are provided with squared heads 11, so that when the said arms are in position within the plunger, the same may bei readily inserted in the main body of the housing 1 so that the squared portions 11 will engage lthe opposite surfaces of the upper slot 2, thereby preventing rotation of the belt engaging arms. y

The inner end of the housing 1 is eX- ternally threaded and is adapted to receive the internally threaded cap member 12. which is provided with an extension por-l tion 13 which will be positioned within the ends of the housing 1 to strengthen or reinforce the same. An extension 14 is formed on the opposite end ot the member 12 and is provided for attaching a supporting clamp 15. A similar supporting clamp 16 may be positioned about the housing 1 and the opy posite ends of the said clamps secured to the frame 17 which supports the pulleys 18 and 19. A belt 20 will be positioned about one of the pulleys so that when the engaging arms 10 are in position at either side thereoif, the said belt .may readily be shi'lted from one.

pulley to the other as desired, by simply Y pulling out or pushing in on the operating' handle 7. i

Many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure 'from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. Abelt shifter comprising a housing, oppositely disposed slots formed therethrough, a recessed plunger slidable in said housing, removable belt engaging arms carried by said plunger, means at the upper ends of said arms for preventing rotation thereof, a cable housing formed integrally with said Erst mentioned housing, a cable therein be ing secured at its inner end in the recess in said plunger, a guide tube slidable on said cable housing', split lingers formed on the outer end of said guide tube and an operating handle adapted to thread onto Said split fingers to ohunp the free end of' said operating Cable.

Q'. The Subject matter as set 'forth in claim l and means fol.' supportng S11-id belt shifter.

The subject matter as set forth in dann l and a, l'en'xovable threaded reinforcing' member adapted to close the open end oi Sad 1o housing. 5 In testimony whereof I af'hx my signature.

ALBERT E. RAMM. 

